Recovery
by nogigglingmajor
Summary: A series of one-shots for when Bones and Christine return home.
1. The First Night

**AN:** A series of one shots surround Bones's and Christine's return in s7. I don't how long Hart plans for them to be gone, but I'm going to say 3mths for this story.

This is my first fanfiction story in oh...5 years I think, and my first Bone's one. Let's see if I can back in the swing of things.

**Disclaimer:** The show characters, etcetera, etcetera are not mine.

**The First Night**

The first night he doesn't sleep. Not a wink. He sits slouched in the bed with Brennan under one arm and Christine snuggled between them. He knows they shouldn't have the baby in the bed, knows the safest place for the baby is in her crib next to their bed, but he'll shoot everyone in a mile radius before either of his girls are out of touching distance. Speaking of shooting – his fingers feel the cool metal under his left hand. _Jesus Chirst, he's got a freakn' gun in the same bed as his child. _It's wrong, but he can't help it. His eyes are trained on the bedroom door; locked. Every window, blind and curtain is shut, bolted...heck he's surprised he didn't hammer planks across the front door. Bones is snoring softly under his arm and he doesn't sleep.

_She's there when he unlocks the door. Still in her coat and heels, standing immediately from the chair she was sitting in and staring at him. He can't breathe. _

"_Here." She says. She's walked quickly to stand in front of him holding Christine out at arms' length, the baby gurgling at him. "She's here, she's fine. She knows who you are. I talked about you everyday...all day. I...I taped your picture to the seat so she saw you everyday. She hasn't forgotten. I'm sorry I took her..." Her words are coming faster and faster, her tears have turned to sobs, but she's still holding the baby out to him. In a trance Booth takes his daughter and the very real weight of her in his hands is enough to break him. Bones is suddenly in an iron grip against his chest and he sinks to the ground sobbing like there's no tomorrow - for all he cares there needn't be. She's here; Bones is back. Christine is back. Somehow Bones manages to free a hand and slam the front door shut before trying every which way to crawl inside Booth's skin. It's a total mess of limbs and somewhere between them there's a baby getting slightly squished. Booth sobs for hours.  
_


	2. Normal

**AN:** The next instalment. I also have a third one; though it's not quiet finished and I have a bit of a writer's block on it. Enjoy this though and I will get back to you.

**Normal**

Looking back Booth realises that Brennan was very, _very_ tolerant of him in the days after she re-appeared in his life. Then again, looking back, after what she did _(despite it being for a good and logical reason, he knows)_, she damn well owed him. He follows her around the house like a lost puppy...a lost puppy that's glued itself to his masters' leg. Christine hasn't touched the floor or crib since she's been home; Booth won't let go of her except when Brennan needs to feed her or she needs changing. So carrying the baby, Booth follows Brennan from the kitchen to the laundry; from the nursery to the bathroom; down the stairs and out to the washing line. Not because he thinks _she_ will leave again, but because he fears if _he_ loses sight of her she will disappear.

While she knows that their feelings, their behaviour will not be normal for some time, Brennan is determined that the house return to normal as soon as possible. So though they haven't gone grocery shopping in a week, nor visited Angela and Michael, she does the washing. She watches TV and leads Booth out to the garden so Christine can get some fresh air. All the while she talks. She tells Booth where she's been, what she's been doing. She tells him every developing detail he's missed about Christine. She tells him she missed him, that she stole photos and took them with her even though it was dangerous.

She figures Booth has not been eating well while she was missing; she's knows she didn't eat well either. So she cooks – determined to get them both healthy. It's difficult. But if it means sitting on Booth lap every breakfast while he holds Christine, and sneaking him spoonfuls from her bowl of porridge then that's what she'll do. He hasn't spoken all that much since she returned, still a little shocked that his nightmare is finally over. She knows this and she continues to be as normal as they were, hoping the familiarity will ease him back.


End file.
